The present invention relates generally to verbal and nonverbal communication, and more particularly to a system and method of improving communication skills via an interactive, educational training tool.
Organizations rely on the communication skills of their members to promote their goals and increase productivity. An organization, such as a business, will use communication training programs to educate their members, since verbal and nonverbal communication is a powerful tool. Various training programs are currently available to improve communication skills. Typically, these programs provide generic information to one or more students seeking to improve their communication skills. The information is generally presented in a variety of formats, including text-based materials to be read by the student, a lecture by a facilitator of the program, or a video.
Since many organizations are global, with many representatives located in diverse geographic regions, the traditional instructor-led training program is expensive to implement. It is advantageous for a training program to provide an opportunity for the user to verbally practice, review, and receive critique on the program materials presented to user, to ensure that the user comprehends the information provided and can apply the same in practice. Without an instructor present, the student has no basis on which to compare their performance with the provided information; and, therefore, presumes to apply the information correctly, when in fact the opposite may be true.
One effect of the explosive growth and acceptance of the internet, and in particular the Internet, is e-learning, or the teaching of a skill over the Internet. A disadvantage of present e-learning methodologies is the reliance on traditional classroom techniques, and the absence of an instructor to facilitate and evaluate role-play interaction. Thus, there is a need in the art for an interactive, multi-tiered system and method of teaching a communication skill that includes the steps of providing skills training; capturing a communications event; analyzing the communications event; and generating information based on the analysis.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method for interactive communication skill training. The system includes a user computer system having a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device. The system also includes an e-learning web site with skill training software for interactively teaching a skill that is in communication with the user""s computer system via a communications network. The system further includes an expert""s computer system.
The method for interactive communication skill training includes the steps of accessing the e-learning web site by the user, selecting a learning module for a communication skill by the user, interacting with the learning module and recording the user interaction using the video recording device. The method also includes the steps of analyzing the user interaction by an expert and providing the expert analysis to the user via the communication network for review by the user to interactively learn the communication skill.
One advantage of the present invention is that a system and method for interactive communication skill training is provided that offers an effective communication improvement program presented in an interactive practice forum, thus enabling the student to master and apply the program concepts through repetitive practice and review of the presented techniques and strategies. Another advantage of the present invention is that the communication skill training program allows the student to interactively review practice sessions and receive instructor or computer-generated commentary relevant to the practice sessions. Still another advantage of the present invention is that an interactive, computer-based system is provided that enables development and improvement of communication skills utilizing an internet-based training environment. A further advantage of the present invention is that the communication skill training program is modular to customize the program for a particular audience; e.g., a corporation administers the program to its employees. Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the communication skill training program is available 24/7.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.